We know you’ll have questions before and throughout the adoption process. If you do not see the answer to your question listed here, do not hesitate to contact us. You can email rhonda@cpotulsa.org for more answers.

How many children did you place last year?
In 2016, we placed 15 children.

What do you mean by “open adoption”?
Our general rule is “as open as the birth mother desires (within reasonable boundaries)”. On a spectrum, we are definitely on the more open end of that. We would want adoptive families (whether local or farther away) to be willing to make regular visits, share pictures, have Skyping sessions, as often as the birth mom wanted/needed. We see this as very beneficial for both the birth mom and the adopted child.

Can you lay out the fees in more detail?
Our agency fee is $5,000, plus 150 hours of volunteer work. The non-local fee is $6,000. Additionally, you will have fees for your application ($300) and our Waiting Families Workshop ($350). In addition to that, you have home study fees (varies due to provider and state) and attorney fees (varies due to legal process throughout adoption).

What is your refund policy?
The application and workshop fees are non-refundable. All but $500 of the agency fee is refundable if the birth mother changes her mind.

To what extent are birth parents’ preferences balanced with the preferences of prospective adoptive parents?
First and foremost, we are a ministry for birth mothers (and parenting women!). We expect our families to join us in that ministry mindset and be willing to go out of their comfort zone to show a birth mother the love of Christ.

What percentage of families have experienced an interrupted adoption due to a birth mother changing her mind?
We don’t keep records on interrupted placements. But we will say that it is something that happens, and it is heartbreaking. All adoptive families should definitely be prepared for that possibility.

Can you recommend home study providers in our area?
We can recommend Tulsa-local home study providers, and we may know previous adoptive families from your area so we could make a recommendation, but ultimately it will be your choice, as long as they meet our court’s requirements regarding their certification, which we will provide to you if you were to be accepted as a CPO waiting family.

What are your post-placement services?
Let’s start with the birth mother: we provide weekly support groups and counseling for her for LIFE, if she wishes to accept them. We have a transitional home where she can choose to live while recovering from the physical and emotional toll of birth and adoption. We also continue to occasionally cover monetary needs within reason. Post-placement services for adoptive families include monthly support groups (local only), annual parenting seminars specifically focused on adoption, and a mentor who can continually help you navigate the open aspect of your adoption. We also provide a host home for out-of-state families while they wait on court approval to take the newborn back to their state.

Are the medical expenses of the birth mother covered by the agency fee, or do the expenses “pass through” to the adoptive parents?
Medical expenses are almost always covered by state insurance, but in the rare occasion that a birth mother isn’t eligible, adoptive families are expected to pay her copays (if she has private insurance) or her entire medical expenses.

What if we become pregnant (or move, or change jobs, or adopt elsewhere, etc.) while waiting to be chosen by a birth mother?
Many major life changes can happen while families are waiting to be chosen by a birth mother. As long as you still meet our previous requirments, you are welcome to remain as a waiting family. Some families choose to put their life book “on hold” while they adjust to major changes, and then just let us know when they are ready to be profiled again.

Is your policy regarding one parent staying home until Kindergarten flexible?
No. We are very firm in our belief that adopted children need even more attachment and bonding opportunities than biological children, and the best way to do that is to spend years and years loving on them. We provide lots of education and training on this topic, as we feel it is extremely essential for the healthy development of the children we place. We feel strongly that the child should spend most of their time with their mother or father. Grandparents and close family friends can of course babysit for the occasional date night, but beyond that, it needs to be solely mommy and/or daddy caring for the child.
Additionally, please consider: Making the decision to place a child for adoption is a difficult one. Many of these courageous women do so with much thought and deliberation. These mothers want to provide their children with the life they themselves cannot provide. This includes a two-parent home with a stay-at-home parent.

Can we work with the state, or another agency, or a private attorney while we also work with CPO?
Yes. CPO is not agency exclusive, so we don’t mind if you have your hat in several different rings. Just make sure the other agencies, etc. are okay with that as well!

We see you are currently limiting the types of new applications. When will that change?
There is really no way to pinpoint when we will be able to accept applications of any given type. Our process allows birth mothers to have 100% control in choosing families, so it really depends on when the birth mothers find us, when they choose a family, and what “type” of family they choose. We close to certain applications to ensure that none of our already-waiting families have to wait an inordinate amount of time. If a lot of our local families get chosen in a row, we’ll open to local families soon after. If a lot of our non-local families get chosen, we’ll open to non-local families. The best advice is to just keep checking the application page, probably about once a month, and pray for women who need our services to find us!

How are birth mothers screened?CPO does not screen birth mothers. We provide services to women facing unplanned pregnancies. Our primary goal is to assist the women in making the best possible decisions for their children.

How long has CPO been a licensed adoption agency?CPO has been a licensed adoption agency since 1983. We have always encouraged openness in adoptions, even before “open adoption” became popular.

Is there a ‘better business bureau’ for adoption agencies?The Oklahoma Department of Human Services licenses adoption agencies in the state. If you have questions about the agency, you can contact them at 405-521-2779.

How long will we be waiting for a baby?We cannot provide an exact time frame. The average wait time is 6 months to 2 years. Some couples have waited as little as 20 minutes after turning in their Life Book, others as long as 3 years.

Can we specify the preferred sex of our baby?No. When a child is conceived, as biological parents, we have no control over the sex of the baby. As such, CPO does not provide for preferred gender of the children placed for adoption. We believe God knows just how He wants to design each family.

Will we get the medical history of the birth mother and her family?We ask all birth mothers to complete (as much as possible) a 67-page form that includes many questions about their medical history.

We have some Native American heritage. How will that affect the adoption process?Federal law requires that babies born to birth parents with Native American heritage be placed with an adoptive family that has documented Native American blood. Please be sure to notify CPO if you have Native American heritage and a tribal roll card. We place many Native American babies and always need adoptive families who have roll cards.

How are the fees paid to CPO spent?CPO asks local adoptive families to pay an agency fee of $5,000 and out-of-Tulsa-area families to pay $6,000. Our fees are much lower than many other agencies because we are a non-profit agency and no one associated with CPO is paid a salary or benefits monetarily from the fees. All monies are used to pay for operating expenses, maternity and personal care items for birth moms, support group supplies, counseling services, advertising and other necessary expenses.

Why are CPO’s fees so much lower than the fees of other adoption agencies?CPO is a non-profit agency and no one associated with CPO is paid a salary or benefits monetarily from the fees.

We are interested in adopting an older child. Does CPO have older children waiting to be adopted?Most of our placements are for newborn babies. However, from time to time, older infants, young children, and sometimes teenagers have needed a stable home environment. CPO has helped to facilitate these adoptions on an “as-needed” basis.

Will my baby ever be in foster care?No. We place babies in a loving home environment with the adoptive couple, straight from the hospital. Quite often, the adoptive mother/couple has the opportunity to be in the delivery room when their baby is born.

How often will we be required to see the birth mother once the baby is in our home?On-going contact with his/her birth family is important for your child, for the birth family, and for you as the adoptive couple. The frequency of contact (face-to-face visits, phone calls, letters) will be dependent upon the birth mother and her availability and the proximity of the birth family and adoptive family. Typically, contact is greater in the first few weeks and months after placement. Frequency of contact is often discussed during sessions with the counselor and the birth mother and adoptive couple.

Can we use our own attorney or do we have to use the attorney recommended by the agency?CPO has retained the services of experienced and knowledgeable attorneys who specialize in adoptions. You are required to use one of our attorneys.

We live out-of-state. Can we still adopt through CPO?Yes. Sometimes birth mothers request out-of-state families. You will require a home study completed by a home study professional in your state and you may need to meet additional Oklahoma adoption requirements.

We live out-of-state. How will we be able to perform the required volunteer hours?Out-of-state couples are required to pay an additional $1,000 in lieu of the 150 volunteer hours.

We live out-of-state. Are host homes available to us when visiting Tulsa for the Waiting Families Workshop and while we wait for the out-of-state processing when our child is born?Yes. CPO has several families who open their homes to waiting couples and to new adoptive couples.

What does CPO mean when they ask if we are ‘Christians?’CPO wants to know if you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

We are Christians but we are not active in a church. Does this matter?Yes. CPO requires that you be active in your local church and you will need a letter from your pastor.

If we are open to children of every ethnicity, will we be chosen sooner?Yes, the pool of families waiting for children of color is smaller.

Is there a ‘waiting list?’ How many Life Books do you have at one time to show to birth mothers?No, there is not a “waiting list.” When CPO receives your Life Book, it is ready to be shown to the next birth mother whose criteria you meet. The girls often have a preference in Christian denomination, geographic location, number of children you already have, openness to pets, or the size of your town or city, to name a few. We always show them all of thelife books that meet those preferences. We never have more than 30 life books at one time.

Do the birth mothers receive counseling?Each birth mother has the opportunity to be seen by a licensed professional every week. If they choose, they can remain in counseling for many years. We feel that this is a very important investment in the lives of these women.

Do the birth mothers receive consistent medical care?Yes, if a birth mother comes to us during her pregnancy, she will see one doctor for the rest of her pregnancy and birth. The doctors we work with are highly respected by the Tulsa medical community and are well known for their expertise. The birth mothers receive very high-quality, personal medical care. However, we also receive calls from women who have just given birth at a local hospital and have received no prenatal care.